Things to note when traveling to India. . . who knows

Etiquette

There is a Chinese saying: "When entering a country, ask about the prohibitions; when entering, ask about the customs." This means that you should not speak or act rashly in a foreign country, and remember to respect the other party's customs and habits. Otherwise, you will make a joke or cause trouble.

Etiquettes in various countries around the world are diverse and not the same, but they can be summed up in two types. One is expressed through language, and the other is coordinated through actions, and India is no exception. However, due to its vast territory, numerous ethnic groups, and complex religions, India has more diverse expressions in some places.

When Indians meet, they say: "Namosgar" or "Namosday", which means congratulations and tributes. It can be used regardless of time, whether men or women, when meeting or breaking up. The person who returns the gift also says this. But repeat it twice to show politeness. Of course, this is not always the case. In some places or cities, or people influenced by Western culture, they express it in English, while in other places they express it in their own dialects.

In India, after two people meet, they not only use the above terms, but also use various behaviors. Either put your hands together or raise your hands to indicate. In cities, handshakes are gradually becoming fashionable. In addition, when you express special respect or supplication to an elder or someone, you should perform a foot-touching ceremony, that is, bend down and touch the toes of the elder with your right hand first. Then touch your head with the same hand to show that your head is in contact with the elder's feet. At this time, the other party touches the top of the head of the person who saluted with his hand to show that he returns the courtesy. Those who want to ask for something may even kneel on the ground, touch the other person's feet with both hands, and touch the other person's toes with their forehead. For the feet of big shots or famous people. More people touched it.

Indians have a habit of using their left hand and never their right hand when rinsing with water. Therefore, the left hand is considered unclean. When giving something to someone, it is usually held with both hands, or one hand is the main one and the other hand touches the other arm slightly. Symbolizes hands, otherwise it would be considered impolite.

During the meal, if you add rice or vegetables to the other party (Indian). Be sure to use an unused pair of chopsticks, never the same pair you are still using. If this is the case, it will be considered as asking others to eat your leftovers. If the other party is already full. It is no longer needed, and you, as the host, want to give some more out of politeness. At this time. You will find that the other party puts the bowls and chopsticks (or eating plates) held in both hands under the table, which means that they no longer want it. Seeing this, the host should understand and stop feeding the guests.

Taboo

If it is out of politeness. Etiquette must be followed. Then, you need to pay more attention to the relevant taboos in India. Otherwise, inadvertent violation will cause a lot of unhappiness and a lot of trouble.

Be sure to take off your shoes when entering the temple or the kitchen. Indians take off their shoes before entering a temple or kitchen. This is a custom that must be followed as these places are considered sacred by Indians. This is related to Indian religious beliefs. in India. The reason why Hindus regard the kitchen as one of the sacred places. This is because people want God to use them before eating, that is, after worshiping God, people can eat. therefore. When people cook, they cannot touch any cooking utensils with their mouths to taste the food. Either observe with your eyes, or gently pinch a little with your right hand and put it into your mouth to taste, but never touch cooking utensils such as spoons and shovels with your mouth. After the meal is ready. You must first invite the gods to eat, that is, make offerings first. There are different ways to worship God before meals. This is generally true for devout Hindus, but times have changed. Some young people no longer care about this. People can put on their shoes only after they have finished eating and go out of the house. Normally, you have to take off your shoes when you go into the kitchen to get things. This is a habit that everyone in India knows and must abide by.

There are also many taboos when going out. There are various opinions on what is auspicious and what is unlucky when you go out. For example, if you go out and encounter flowers or jars filled with water, as well as married women, it is considered auspicious; it is also auspicious to hear bells, chanting, etc. when you go out; but if you go out and encounter widows, begging monks, Barbers, oil sellers, etc. are considered unlucky; hearing sneezing or other unpleasant sounds when going out is also considered unlucky; slipping or tripping when going out is also considered unlucky... so on etc. What should you do if you encounter the above unlucky situation? There is a way - go home immediately and rest at home for a while before going out.

Within a week, it is also important to decide which direction to go on which day and which direction is good or bad. Some Indians take this very seriously. For example, there is a popular saying in North India: Don’t go east on Mondays and Saturdays. Do not go north on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; go west on Wednesdays and Thursdays. You will be slapped four times on the road. In South India, there are also rules about which day to go in which direction. For example, you cannot go north on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. You cannot go south on Thursday, you cannot go east on Monday and Saturday, and you cannot go west on Friday and Sunday. If it is violated, the remedy is to use yogurt to worship the gods after the sun goes down.

Indians also have taboos about numbers. For example, during some festive events, Hindus like to use odd numbers when giving alms. After a Muslim marriage is registered, the groom must salute the guests and spectators present several times, maybe three times, five times, or seven times, but it must be an odd number to show good luck. After the marriage, a pedicle ceremony must be held at the woman's home. Before the ceremony, the groom and the bride also fed each other seven mouthfuls of kefir porridge, and then the ceremony officially began. And so on.

However, in the south of India, some odd numbers are taboo among Tamil Nadu people. They believe that odd numbers such as one, three, five, and seven are unlucky, and these numbers should generally be avoided or replaced by other methods. In addition, they also believe that there are unlucky times every day, for example, Monday from 7:30 to 9:00, Tuesday from 3:00 to 4:30, Wednesday from 12:00 to 1:30, and Thursday from 1:30 to 3:00. , 9:00 to 10:30 on Saturday, 10:00 to 12:00 on Friday, etc. are all unlucky times. It is not convenient to go out to do errands. There are many more taboos, so I won’t list them all here. Of course, some Indians no longer pay attention to these things.